The data leak at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Co. has expanded by a factor of five after the brokerage said around 80 companies — instead of 13 as originally announced — may have acquired personal data on more than 49,000 of its customers from a corrupt employee.
The revelation came Friday after the brokerage arm of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. said April 8 that the employee, who was deputy chief of the computer department, sold the data to three dealers who specialize in personal data lists, which in turn sold them to real estate agents and other firms.
A revision was made after an in-house probe found that there were actually 14 firms, as well as an additional 15 potential buyers who received samples of the data, the brokerage said. After taking into account additional information from customers, the brokerage concluded that another 50 companies may have acquired the private data.